SciGlow is a newsletter of science stories from the major research labs. Headlines link to in-depth articles and editorials. SciGlow keeps scientists and others up-to-date on current research.
When war came to Mozambique in the 1970s, the large mammals of Gorongosa National Park were among the casualties. By the mid-1990s, more than 90% of the wildlife had been lost. Since 2007, the Gorongosa Project — an innovative public-private partnership between the Government of Mozambique and a non-profit organization — has worked to restore … Read more
Our Galaxy is populated with billions of bright stars that have masses equivalent from ten to many tens the mass of the Sun. Despite their short and turbulent existence, these stars play a paramount role in astrophysics. For example they forge metals and more heavier chemical elements and eject them into space at the end … Read more
In the quantum realm, under some circumstances and with the right interference patterns, light can pass through opaque media. This feature of light is more than a mathematical trick; optical quantum memory, optical storage and other systems that depend on interactions of just a few photons at a time rely on the process, called electromagnetically … Read more
Debates rage about whether a more center candidate or one that appeals to the party voter base is the most electable. According to a new study from the New England Complex Systems Institute (NECSI) and MIT, in the decades between WWII and 1970 only a center candidate would win, but in the years since, several … Read more
A team of physicists has mapped how electron energies vary from region to region in a particular quantum state with unprecedented clarity. This understanding reveals an underlying mechanism by which electrons influence one another, termed quantum “hybridization,” that had been invisible in previous experiments. The findings, the work of scientists at New York University, the … Read more
A new study identifies the non-native species most likely to invade the Antarctic Peninsula region over the next decade. It provides a baseline for all operators in the region to look at mitigation measures. The study is published in the journal Global Change Biology (13th January 2020). Fragile polar biological communities in marine and terrestrial Antarctic habitats … Read more
Climate is an important factor in determining a plant species’ growing zone. Some studies suggest that by the turn of the next century, climate change will have caused some species to spread several dozen kilometres north of their current distribution areas. Such changes could have major consequences on how land-based ecosystems function. But a northern … Read more
Corey Nislow is not an astronaut, but if humanity makes it to Mars safely, he will have played a vital role. In his lab at UBC, he’s working to develop drugs and other treatments that can protect space mission crews from the impact of cosmic radiation. “Outside Earth’s protective atmosphere, mission crew are exposed to … Read more
Rather than an untidy mess, fire-damaged trees and half burnt logs left behind by a fire are valuable habitat for recovering wildlife, according to a group of leading Australian environmental scientists. Professor David Lindenmayer from the Fenner School of Environment and Society at the Australian National University has over 35 years of experience researching the … Read more
In the first days of 2020, the Pacific Ocean archipelago nation of Palau took the momentous step of protecting 80% — 500,000 square kilometers — of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) from fishing. The move is at once a cultural tradition, a far-sighted strategy for future generations and an example of the level of conservation … Read more